The Lodger · Chapter
XV explained
Mrs.
What happens
Mrs. Bunting tries to stay awake to observe the lodger's nighttime activities but falls asleep. She wakes to a strange acrid smell and hears him moving about. The next morning, news of another Avenger murder in the Edgware Road terrifies her, and she struggles with her suspicions while trying to maintain normalcy.
Themes in this chapter
Fear and Suspicion
Mrs. Bunting's growing dread and suspicion of the lodger are palpable as she investigates the smell and hears the murder news.
Complicity and Moral Ambiguity
Mrs. Bunting chooses not to wake her husband or confront the lodger, prioritizing the financial security he provides over her moral duty.
Appearance vs. Reality
The lodger appears to be a perfect tenant, but his nighttime activities and the acrid smell suggest a sinister reality.
Characters to notice
- Mrs. Bunting
Attempts to stay awake to spy on the lodger, fails, and is haunted by the smell and the news of the latest Avenger murder.
- Mr. Sleuth
Conducts a mysterious experiment in the kitchen at night, leaving a strong acrid smell and evidence of intense heat in the oven.
- Mr. Bunting
Eagerly reads about the Avenger's latest murder and shares the news with his wife, oblivious to her distress.
- Daisy
Mentioned as returning tomorrow from her visit to Aunt Margaret; Mrs. Bunting finds comfort in her absence.
- Joe Chandler
Thought of by Mrs. Bunting as likely staying away since Daisy is not there; she dreads hearing him discuss the Avenger with Bunting.
Key passages
“Mrs. Bunting sat up in bed and sniffed; and then, in spite of the cold, she quietly crept out of her nice, warm bedclothes, and crawled along to the bottom of the bed.”
Mrs. Bunting got up and sniffed the air, then crawled to the foot of the bed despite the cold.
Shows her determination to investigate the strange smell despite her discomfort.
“What if the lodger did make a certain amount of mess—a certain amount of smell—in her nice clean kitchen? Was he not—was he not an almost perfect lodger?”
She rationalizes the lodger's mess and smell because he is otherwise an ideal tenant.
Highlights her moral compromise and fear of losing the lodger's income.
“Once more the murder fiend who chooses to call himself The Avenger has escaped detection.”
The Avenger has committed another murder and remains at large.
Directly from the newspaper report, emphasizing the ongoing terror.